Entries by Helen Picca

Power of the Brush

It is said that a “picture is worth a thousand words.”  Murals are pictures and therefore suggestive and expressive and very powerful.  Artist Matt Shapira uses his murals of Roaming Elephants to shed light on the plight of these magnificent creatures: Loss of habitat, being poached for their ivory, spending their lives in captivity.  He believes that in order to see the world, you must “Roam like an elephant,” and that his murals depict the […]

Art for Everyone: Murals

Many years ago, a Port Orford artist was inspired to cover a blank surface with a mural. That became the inspiration for other local artists, all wanting to beautify their little town with artwork. Today, there is hardly any wall that is unadorned. Being a town by the sea, many of the murals are of sea life: whales, fishes, crabs even a mermaid and Neptune make an appearance. Then, there are the scenes specific to […]

Art or a Pile of Rocks

Once again, I am asking that age-old question, “What is art?” Ask 10 people and you will get 10 answers. After much time and exposure, I have come to this definition: Art is anything a person expresses in a creative way that provokes thought.  So, when I saw the driftwood and rocks in front of Kat’s Korner (formally Not Just Art), I knew it was art.  It certainly provoked thought and each piece of wood, […]

Welcome to Port Artford!

When I drive thru the town of Port Orford, I am elated. There are no fast food restaurants, no big box stores, no Starbucks. Nothing flashy to grab your eye. In fact, if you drive thru here on a Sunday or a Monday, you might think it’s a ghost town, where seemingly, no businesses are open except for the all-day breakfast place, the gas station and the supermarket. . .just a bunch of store fronts, […]